Dark Magic
by siss7
Summary: AU but canon-compliant. I started wondering what James Potter would say if he found out his son used Dark Magic and this is what I came up with. Rated T for subject matter


AN- this is my first Harry Potter fan fiction. I apologize for my oversight in not thanking my betas. I generally thank them personally. I had four beta's who oversaw this in early stages and made suggestions.I made up most of the spells.

_Doc_ _Datio_ means Dark Transfer. Obspurge is taken from _obscurum_ meaning sickness. I hope you enjoy.

…_.you deserve detention with me every Saturday until the end of the term. What do you think, Potter? "_

Harry sat in the common room letting the events of the day settle. The fight with Draco, his obsession with what he was doing in the bathroom, the blood on the floor. Hedwig appeared at the window of the Gryffindor common room taking him out of the moment. She carried a smoking red envelope.

They knew.

Harry turned as white as a sheet and his heart quickened. This would be worse than the time he had gotten caught in Hogsmeade by Uncle Moony.

"YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES!" the howler bellowed in his father's voice.

It was usually his mum sending howlers and handing out the discipline in the Potter home. Mostly, James took care of teaching Harry how to fly and pull pranks, but he knew where the line was with his dad; for him to come to the school meant that Harry had crossed a very clear line.

Unfortunately, this hadn't been the first time he'd had to go home in the middle of the school term. In his third year, his mother had been less than pleased when he'd been caught in Hogsmeade by his Uncle Lupin and marched into the school and dragged him home.

It was a long weekend Harry would never forget.

He packed his bag and left a note for Ron and quickly walked to the headmistress' office.

Harry could hear the voices coming from behind the headmistress' door.

"Mr. Potter, this a school matter. He'll have detention for the rest of the term and miss the last Quidditch game. It's also important to note that the other student was close to using an Unforgivable curse on him, which is why Harry hasn't been expelled."

"I'll let the other child's parents deal with him. In the Potter home, we don't use Dark Magic for _any _reason. Harry knows this and he violated it. He'll come home for the weekend, Minerva, and I won't hear any more about him leaving school. If he misses something, then he can deal with it on Monday. It will just have to be a part of his school punishment."

Harry's heart quickened. He wished for the floor to open up and swallow him. He wished for the giant squid to reach through the castle and drown him in the great lake. He wished the three-headed dog would use him as a chew toy, anything but his dad yelling at his Headmistress about him using Dark Magic.

"It's time to go, son," he heard his dad say. "We'll apparate home from Hogsmeade. But first, I need your wand."

Harry hesitated for the slightest second.

"Now," James demanded.

Harry sighed. Arguing was no use. He handed over his wand and followed his dad slowly.

"Let's go," James said, a slight growl to his voice. Harry's pace quickened at James' tone and his dad followed him out the door for the walk to Hogsmeade.

"Hold on to me," James ordered, and they apparated to Godric's Hollow. "Go to your room," James said as soon as their home came into view.

"Can I least explain?"

"No," James said.

"Harry," his mum said from the living room, "listen to your father."

"I can't even explain?" Harry whined.

His mother stood next to James, she got between James and Harry and took him to his room. "We will talk as a family later. It would be best if you let your father calm down."

Suddenly, his stomach did a flip-flop and Harry made a run for the bathroom, just barely able to make it in time to empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet. It came in waves; Harry was vomiting things he'd eaten for breakfast that morning.

James stood in the doorway shaking his head. "He's got Obspurge," he said to a worried Lily. "Just let him get it out." He picked up Harry's hand, the veins in his fingers turned grey and showing through his opaque skin. "He'll be sick, but he'll be fine."

"Can't you use the counterspell?" Lily asked, horrified at the violent reaction her son was having.

"He needs to feel the full effect of what Dark Magic does."

Lily's eyes flashed at her husband. "James Potter—"

"Just for now, the consequences of his actions aren't going to come from me. You know it's better this way."

A few hours later, Harry still couldn't sit upright. He was on the bathroom floor, with Lily next to him, ready to be sick again.

"Mum," he mumbled. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry," he was crying as his head rested on her lap and she rubbed his back.

"I'm sure you are," she said, wiping his tears with her hand. "Obspurge sickness is very serious. You'll be fine."

"I'm never, never..." he started to promise, as his stomach lurched and he was sick again.

"Just get it out, baby," Lily said, rubbing his back as his body lurched.

After what seemed like hours, Harry lay on his bed with a bucket ready to use, unable to move. He fell into a half-comatose state. In the middle of the night, Hedwig pecked his window. She had a letter from Ron.

_Harry,_

_I heard what happened. The whole school is talking. Good luck._

_Ron_

Harry wrote back to his best mate:

_Ron,_

_I'm gonna need it. Dad's the bad cop this time. Worse than the infamous trip to Hogsmeade. Send homework and keep me updated on the match this weekend. I'll see you on Monday...hopefully._

_Harry_.

Harry awoke in what seemed like seconds from a restless sleep. James turned the light on in Harry's room, banged on the door and told him to get up and get dressed.

"You'll clean all the bathrooms, dust the entire basement and then clean the baseboards in the entire house, then you'll work on the woodpile," James said while Harry ate breakfast. "It had better be done when I get home from work." James Potter spent his days as an Auror and head of the Dark Magic task force.

When he was finished with his inside chores, he started on the woodpile outside. His dad had transfigured a pile of cut wood he wanted to be moved and stacked. It was April and they probably wouldn't have a fire until next Christmas. It was a common punishment in the Potter house for Harry to move wood from one stack to the next.

"Go to your room," James said when Harry was finished with the chores.

"We aren't going to talk?" he asked. "We always talk."

James just looked at him and turned away. Harry hung his head and walked to his room. An owl was waiting to deliver his homework.

"Dad? Please, just let me explain," Harry said the next day. This time, he'd spent the day cleaning out the cupboards, washing them, and stacking more wood.

"_Explain_, Harry? What do you need to explain? You used Dark Magic on another student. There's not a lot to explain," James said.

For the second night, Harry went to his room and closed his eyes, but only saw Draco bleeding on the floor of the bathroom.

* * *

"Morning," Lily said to Harry on the third morning.

"Hi," Harry sat at the table with a cup of tea. He was slumped at the table with his elbow on the table and his head in his hands.

"I take it you'll be stacking wood this morning," she asked.

"You saw the wall dad left?" Harry asked. "Along with the new weeds in the front yard."

"How are you feeling?" She asked, starting the tea kettle.

"Brillant."

"Headache? Dizzy? Have you been able to eat?"

"I've had a dull pain since Thursday night. A little dizzy and I've eaten a bit, but I'm not hungry."

"Okay," Lily said, deciding something in the moment. She got up and pulled out her cauldron.

She started pulling stuff out of her cabinets and going into the pantry.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to make something for you," she said. "You should get to work, your dad comes home early on Fridays."

An hour later, Lily was adding in the last of the Pom Root and Banana leaf when she heard the knock at the door.

"Come in," Lily said.

"Just coming over to make sure everything is alright," her neighborhood Bathilda Bagshot said.

"You've heard," Lily said, stirring the potion.

"Everyone has heard dear," Bathilda said sweetly.

Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Is he alright?" she said, taking over the stirring of the potion.

"He probably has a sore back from stacking wood," Lily said pouring a cup of tea for Bathilda and herself. "We haven't even gotten Harry's side because James wants him to experience Obspurge in all its glory, so he's been doing chores and attempting to keep down food."

"I'm sure James is just thrilled with the whole thing?"

"I had to cast _Muffliato_ before he went to get Harry from school," Lily said sitting down with her tea.

"And you, dear?" Bathilda asked.

"I'm, I'm…" Lily stammered and choked on her words. "He was so sick when he got home. He's been grumpy and moody. I know he's sixteen and that's part of the deal, but it..." tears overflowing, "and I'm brewing _Noc_ _Datio_ for him."

Bathilda's eyes widened, "Lily," she gasped. "Why would you…? That's such a horrible potion."

"I know it's awful...I… just… I never wanted to do this again," Lily blew her nose. "I can't… I won't let another person get taken by dark magic."

"Lily," Bathilda said sharply, "snap out of it. Harry is not being taken by Dark Magic. He's a kid who used a spell he shouldn't have and he has two parents who love him and won't let him go down that path too far."

"I just… not Harry."

"No," Bathilda said. "Not Harry. He has too much of you and James in him to ever let Dark Magic take him." Lily's sobs slowly subsided as Bathilda continued to stir the potion. "This should be done now," Bathilda said. "I'll send him in on my way out."

Harry came in as Lily poured him a glass of _Noc_ _Datio_ and placed it in front of him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Just drink it," Lily said.

Harry took a sip. An instant calming feeling came over him. The nausea and the headache was gone. He felt like himself for the first time since the incident at school.

"It's working," Lily said as the liquid touched his tongue. "I don't think your father will be happy I made this for you."

"Because he wants me to suffer."

Lily glared at Harry in the way only she could. "Be very careful about what you say about your father," she warned. "He's very close to pulling you out of school permanently right now and I don't want to agree with him."

"Sorry," Harry muttered.

"I had... a friend. At school. But as we got older, he changed. I didn't recognize him anymore. He would beg me to make this for him, even get me the ingredients."

"Oh," Harry said.

"I won't ever make it again for you. I won't watch you, my son, get taken by the allure of the dark arts." Her tears started again.

"I'm not… I won't," Harry said. "I just…" Harry paused. "I shouldn't have…" He watched the tears form in his mother's eyes. He'd never seen her cry like this and his actions had caused his beautiful mother to shed tears.

"I'm sorry," he said, tears coming to his own eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so so so sorry," he reached across the table and wiped the tears from her eyes. She grabbed his hand and held it as they both cried and hugged and for the first time, Harry confessed everything to his mother. It never occurred to him to leave anything out.

* * *

"It doesn't matter if he was going to use _Cruciatus._ What have we talked about doing, when that happens in a battle?"

Harry couldn't look at his dad. Instead, he looked at the floor. He tried talking to James when he got home and things quickly turned sour.

"I'm waiting, son," James said, "What do you do if someone tries to use an Unforgivable on you?"

"I…" Harry stammered, and another fire spell shocked him. "I'm supposed to use a Stun or a Disarm."

"So then exactly what were you thinking when you used Dark Magic that caused a bloody mess?"

"Dad, I didn't know that it would hurt him like that, or that he would bleed! I didn't even know it was Dark Magic! I wouldn't have used it if I knew. You have…"

"YOU USED A SPELL AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?"

Harry didn't say anything. He just found a spot on the floor to stare at, still wishing for the giant squid to pull him under the water.

"James?" Lily interjected, hearing James' outburst, "Perhaps you should calm down before continuing this conversation."

"It's worse than I thought!" James ranted. "What have I told you about magic that you aren't experienced with?"

"Dad, I'm sorry," Harry said.

"This isn't a game! Being sorry isn't going to heal Draco's sores."

"I shouldn't have done it and I won't do it again. I felt horrible afterward. I didn't like it. I wish I'd never even found the spell."

"You're grounded until next school year," James said bitterly at his son. "If you even go back to school."

"Dad!"

"You'll come home every weekend until your exams."

"Mum, please," Harry looked to Lily.

"James," Lily cut in. "Stop." She turned to her son. "You're grounded until further notice. You'll come home on the weekends after detention, as I told you earlier today."

"How many times do I need to say I'm sorry and I won't do it again?"

"I know you won't," James cut in, "because I'll be doing _Priori_ _Incantatem_ to make sure you don't use Dark Magic again. And if I find anything other than the school work in your wand...so help..."

"It's not like _you _never did anything stupid! I've heard the stories! Uncle Moony and Padfoot told me all about it last year after I saw the memories in the Pensieve. You used to do _Levicorpus_ for fun. At least I was in a fight!"

"And I taught you _better_," James interrupted his son. "I also knew what I was doing, and what would happen, however dumb or irresponsible it was."

"It was a mistake. You act like I drank a bottle of firewhiskey and got on a broom with a Muggle girl. Which didn't you and Uncle Padfoot actually _do_?"

"Now is when you go to your room," Lily interjected. "Before _I _don't let you go back to school."

Harry just shuffled to his room and flopped down on his bed.

Another tap at his window came from Hedwig.

'_Gryffindor won!' _the note said. Well, that was something. Harry collapsed onto his bed to finish reading the rest of the letter. '_Ginny wants to know when you're coming home.'_

James sat on the balcony, overlooking the night sky.

"James," his wife said sitting next to him. "It's freezing out here," she cast a warming charm around them.

"I was too hard on him," he said to his wife, looking straight ahead. "And he threw my mistakes in my face."

"Well," Lily shrugged. "You had to know it was going to happen," she said with a sly smile. "He is your child."

"He hates me."

"Harry does not hate you," she said. "He knows what he did was wrong."

"Does he?"

"Yeah, Bathilda came by earlier and asked if the version of the story she heard was true. Since I didn't know Harry's side, I asked him."

"Oh," James said. "He told you everything?"

"Over a glass of _Noc Datio."_

"Lily!" he exclaimed. "Why would you...after everything you've been through?"

"Someone had to listen to him."

"Right," he paused. "So what did he tell you?" James adjusted so they were facing each other. "Where did he even get that spell? Didn't Snape–"

"...It has to do with Snape and a book…"

"Maybe I don't I want to hear everything."

"You don't," Lily paused. "I'm fixing the bigger issue before he goes back to school and I have properly admonished him for his actions. And I know you're going to ask, but no, Snape didn't teach Harry the spell."

James nodded, relieved he wouldn't need to take on his old nemesis. "I know that for Harry's sake Sniv…"

Lily's eyes flashed.

"Snape," James corrected, "is Harry's teacher and our most secret weapon against the fight against Voldemort, but that doesn't change how I feel about the man."

"And you don't think Harry sees that?"

"I guess he does," James conceded. "If Dumbledore were here…"

"He'd have told you two to get over your schoolboy foolishness," Lily interrupted. "We made a mistake when we didn't tell Harry about the prophecy, let's not repeat it. It's time he knows how to beat the Death Eaters at their own game," Lily said to her husband as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You know what that means?" James said.

"I know," Lily said, her eyes beginning to water. "But he's gonna come face-to-face with Voldemort again eventually, because this war won't end otherwise."

Lily sobbed quietly into James. "Hey," he murmured, his tone soft. "We are going to be okay."

"I don't want to lose my baby."

James' eyes began to water whenever his wife cried, "We won't," he assured her. "We can't be touched."

"We have three months, James. The protection will be lifted "

"I know."

"He's not ready."

"He will be, Lily-Petal."

"Give me your unbreakable vow."

"I already did," he smiled at her smugly and kissed her forehead.

Lily rolled her eyes, "then add it to our unbreakable wedding vows."

James smiled, "Yes dear." His smile faded. "This means no more kid gloves with Harry." Lily nodded her head buried in James's shoulder. He tipped her chin up and so she stared into his eyes, "Our son is already brave and strong and capable. He's proven that he's quick on his feet more than once."

"You'll teach him."

"Yes, me. Moony and Padfoot too."

"Okay," Lily sighed, wiping tears from her eyes, "The only thing we can do is put our trust in Dumbledore's beautiful bit of magic."

"I always thought the most beautiful bit of Magic was Harry."

Lily laughed, drying her eyes, "Suck up."

"We should get you inside before you get sick," James got up and held the door for his wife as they went inside.

* * *

The next morning James came into Harry's room to wake him up early, but Harry was already dressed.

"I was just gonna go pull weeds and mow the lawns," Harry said. "I figured you'd have another mountain of wood for me to move."

"I have a better idea," James said. "Follow me." He went outside and into the Potter's broom storage. "Take your mother's Bluebottle 2001," James instructed as he got on his Cleansweep. "Follow me," James said again. "And here. You might need this in case we run into muggles or death eaters," he handed Harry his wand.

They took off into the morning sky, headed north, and flew for a few hours. The sun was rising in the east as they flew over the Scottish mountains. Harry enjoyed the wind at his hair and felt carefree for the first time since the incident. James finally touched down in a clearing surrounded by mountains and a small stream.

"Where are we?" Harry asked when he landed.

"Nevermind that for now," James said.

He cast a privacy spell around them and conjured a picnic table with all of Harry's favorite breakfast foods. "You can thank your mother for preparing this for us," James said sitting down to the table.

Harry sat and started dishing food, an uncomfortable silence falling between father and son.

"Your hand looks better," James cleared his throat. "It should be gone next week."

"Yeah," Harry said. "My nausea is better," he added.

"Good," James chewed his food. "It might take a few days to get back to normal."

They continued to eat in silence until both were finished eating.

"Still won't give me the counterspell?"

"Nope," James said. "I want you to feel the misery Dark Magic does."

"I just want you to know how sorry I am," Harry started. "I really…"

"Good," James looked at his son. He searched his son up and down. He doubted the boy had slept much in the last three days. "I've worked my entire life to get rid of dark magic. Dumbledore sacrificed himself..."

"Dad, I know all this. I know that in him sacrificing himself, he made it so you and mum could raise me. I know that his act protects me because mum sealed the magic and Voldemort can't touch me. The whole prophecy thing from last year was a surprise."

"Then why did you take it upon yourself to follow Malfoy into that bathroom and use a spell you didn't know?" James asked. "Because you know better than to be so reckless. I thought you learned that in the ministry last year. I thought your time with Lupin in the pensive taught you the importance of preparation for the battle ahead?"

"Malfoy is up to something," Harry blurted out.

"I don't want to hear about The Malfoys. They are under investigation and they are being watched. Lucius is in Azkaban."

"But Draco goes into a room and disappears for hours. I told you at Christmas."

"And I reported his behavior, but there isn't a lot I can do," James said. He was silent for a moment, so as not to let his anger show and lose any progress he might make with Harry. "We are all aware of the behavior of Draco Malfoy. So if you have a concern send an owl to my office through McGonagall. Are we clear?"

"Yes dad," Harry answered.

"Now," James said, "Answer the question."

"I… I..." Harry stammered. James wasn't gonna let it go, the truth was the only way out. "I thought I would get the answers I was looking for and he–"

"Okay," James said. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't out for revenge over the train at the beginning of the year?"

"Why would I…"

"Snape brought up revenge."

"No, it wasn't out of revenge."

"Good," James said. At the word, his UncIes Sirius and Lupin apparated into the clearing.

"I take it you two are done with the father/son bonding part of the morning," his UncIe Padfoot said.

"Oh, there's still more of that to come. It's why Prongs asked us here," Lupin said.

"I mean that and your mother's scones," Sirius sat down and grabbed a scone and poured himself a cup of tea.

"You told them?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Word gets around fast," James shrugged. "You should know that by now."

"Sectumsempra?" Lupin asked sitting at the table. "Come on Harry, you know better."

"Unbelievable," Harry said. His heads in hands. "I made one mistake."

"It's more than one," Lupin said, biting off a bit of scone. "Snape invented that spell when we were in school."

"...Which is why he called me, not the headmistress," James added a sly smile appeared. "I don't ever want a call from him again while I'm at work," as he said it Lupin and Sirius laughed at James. "I deal with enough on a daily basis."

"Don't let Lily hear you say that," Sirius said. He slipped into a perfect impression of Lily, "Now James, he's Harry's teacher."

"There will come a time when you will need to use dark magic," James said. "And I intend to teach you the right way."

"So your dad has asked that I continue to use Dumbledore's memories, but that we also teach the proper use of dark magic."

"You will?" Harry asked surprised. "You think I'm ready?"

"No," James answered, "but in a War, your enemies won't wait until you're ready to fight them. Parents can't keep their children encased in glass, no matter how much they should wish to. But I will do everything in my power to make sure you are as prepared as possible for whatever lies ahead."

James jumped up from his seat.

"I brought backups," he said, pointing to Lupin and Sirius. "You know a lot, son. But we suspect that at some point you're going to run into magic you've never seen before and your best weapon is being able to hit them with something they didn't see coming."

"You'll need your wand," Sirius said. "_Diffindo_ will keep you from getting another nasty bout of _Obspurge_," Sirius started.

"Don't use _SectumSempra_ as a defensive spell. For many, many reasons," James looked at Harry over his glasses.

"Instead, use _Afflictus_. You'll leave marks, but not bloody gashes," Lupin paused. "And only if your opponent starts the duel," he continued.

Harry pointed his wand at the practice dummy and used the spell his father taught him. The practice dummy flew back into the air and landed with a thud.

"How'd that feel?" James asked.

"Good," Harry answered. "Better," he shook his hand from the kickback the wand gave from the powerful spell.

"You need to steady your wand," James instructed.

They spent the next hour going over spells and practicing their use on the practice dummy. They were teaching him spells he'd never seen in any class or any book at Hogwarts.

"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked after Harry started looking a little pale.

"I think we're done for the day," James said, taking a look at Harry's hands. He reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a vial. "Drink this."

"Mum gives you this when you get home from work," Harry said before taking a drink and passing it to his dad, who took a drink.

"Yep," James passed the vial to Sirius. "She's been brewing it for me since the day I got into Auror Training and perfected it when I started the Dark Magic task force."

Sirius swallowed the potion and said to Lupin, "We should get going."

"Come for dinner Saturday night," James said as Sirius and Lupin disapparated.

Alone again, father and son packed up the food and James sent it away.

"She made the potion for me," Harry said.

"Yeah, she mentioned that," James finished his drink. "She makes it for me because it settles my nerves after a rough day. But the potion requires the maker of the potion to experience the pain of the sufferer."

"It...it," Harry stammered. "It does?"

"Usually she doesn't suffer as much because I only take it as extra protection…"

"But I'm still feeling the effects."

"And she feels every bit of your pain, I took care of her all night and got her to sleep just before we left the house."

Harry bit his lip, "She shouldn't have done that for me. I don't want her to suffer because of me."

"Good," James said. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I don't want your mother to suffer either. Dark Magic will always leave a trace. You grow immune and it changes you. If you're lucky you realize it before it causes permanent damage to you and the people who love. Now you understand why I didn't give you the counterspell."

"Yeah, I do," Harry kicked a pebble. "I shouldn't have said what I did about you and Padfoot."

"No, and I have never hidden my mistakes from you, son," he let his words hang in the air. "I wish you could have had a carefree time at Hogwarts. I wish you could roam the grounds at night with your best mates. I wish you got detention for following in my footsteps and we laughed about it while your mom gets upset. But these are different times and my experiences won't be yours."

Harry looked away from his dad, focusing on a mountain behind him.

"So you'll be heading back to school," James said. "Hogsmeade is just over those hills."

"Thanks, Dad," the boy said.

"You'll behave?"

"Do I have a choice?"

James chuckled, "You always have a choice, Harry," he cleared his throat. "But I suspect you'll finish the term with no extra detentions."

"I won't put a toe out of line."

"Well, don't make that promise, your mother likes to remind me that you're still my son," a slow smile spread across his face. "But I'll see you next Saturday, after detention. Perhaps you should make your mother breakfast while your home."

"And after that? Am I still grounded until further notice?"

"We'll see," James said, mounting his broom. "Let's just get you back to school."


End file.
